MK forum

Has anyone heard how things are going with the Vianopolis, East Brazil investigation by IHART?

It has now been over a year since NTM hired Pat Hendrix (instead of using GRACE, as requested by so many).

A group selected by Pat began investigating Via last June.

What happens now??? That is what I am waiting to see.

Surely the interviews are over. The facts have been gathered. These "independent" people who are not members of NTM have got the information. They've visited the crime scene. They've talked to the victims (I assume).

Now what??

What happens next is of highest importance to the rest of us who are waiting. What happens next will influence how we feel about other investigations already begun (Panama, Bolivia), others yet to begin (Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Mexico, Venezuela), and those conspicuously overlooked (ARITAO, PHILIPPINES). And oh yes, what about Paraguay??

I cannot overstress the significance of what happens next.

The world is waiting and watching, Pat. IHART. NTM.

What happens next???

When you say "visited the crime scene". Does that mean the IHART team actually went to the country where these things happened?

If that's true, then on the way to PNG, call into Australia and us MK's will show you some real live criminals, then we can take you on an escorted tour of PNG. Except this time we'll pick the most comfortable beds, the best rooms and the IHART team can have what's left over!

And none of this working 9 to 5, lets have a bit of MK reality. Work from dawn till well after dusk, with just Saturday afternoon off. Sunday can be spent listening to endless pompous religous dribble like we had to. Don't worry you'll be to busy and tired to complain or even think what is going on, because that is what happened to us!

What you're not planning on coming to Australia? Oh you think that you might get a rough time? Oh what a shame, then how about getting us up to speak face to face, so you can look in the faces of MKs who have been living for decades with the hurt and shame of what NTM did to us. Cash in some of those investments and do the decent thing and let us have our say in person and don't you dare treat us as second class citizens!!!!!

Yes, Aussie, several members of the investigative team did visit the Vianopolis, East Brazil school campus last year.

I don't know if they will do this at the other schools, but I think it would be an excellent idea. And you are right, they could swing by and see you MKs Downunder if/when they go to PNG.

I haven't heard any estimate of when Pat Hendrix is going to begin putting a team together to investigate Oliguti and Numonohi. She is probably almost overwhelmed with the information she has on Via, abuse in Panama, and now what she is beginning to receive regarding Tambo, Bolivia.

I foresee several very busy years head for Ms Hendrix.

Thanks for the info Raz.

So IHART might be coming down to Australia. Wonder when they e-mail NTM Australia if there will be a reply, after all poor Bemused can't get through?

And how many females will be on this investigative team? Give yourself a fighting chance boys, after you've heard the stories of what happened to the MKs at the bottom of the world you'll need someone to pass you the tissues and reassure you that its not personal, it's just cold hard facts. Yes boys, you'll need a woman to help you with your emotional needs, so why not appoint a few on equal terms.

What happened to some of us was disgusting, disgraceful and criminal and we're not going to dress it up as some nice sunday school picnic that got a bit rained out. Hell no, you're going to hear it warts and all. And you're going to hear names of the holy who committed the most vile acts immaginable and then were allowed to wander off and do it somewhere else. You're not going to hear that NTM was a nice mission that a few people made a couple of tiny errors of judgement in and that it's all been fixed. Hell no, you'll hear about an organisation that has covered up atrocities, lied, cheated, blackmailed, threatened and shredded evidence for decades. You're going to look past the gates of hell and see what NTM did to some of us, then you'll have to look at your conscience and ask "what am I going to do now?????" Make a few recommendations? Do just enough to justify the bother of getting or involved, or act like a real man or woman and get real justice no matter how hard or impossible it seems. Because it will take a supreme effort of courage to even match what some of us MKs have been through and what we now have to relive just to tell you our stories.

If any one is interested Crossview Australia (formerly NTM Australia), now has their website up and running.

Check out this excerpt from the blog site:

My family and I live in Durango, Mexico working among the Tepehuan Indians. This has been a difficult work, and particularly over the last year and a half, our family has had to make many adjustments so that it can continue on.

Our 4 children ranging from 16 to 8 years of age have had to adapt to a Bi-lingual school where Spanish and English are taught. Because the level of Spanish is much higher than where they are at in the language, they require much more assistance with their homework than if they were just studying in English. Andrew, my husband, travels out to the mountains with our partners and stays there for 2 weeks at a time. He then travels back and spends 2 weeks with us continuing on with the translation of the Bible lessons.

Over this past year and a half, we have been stretched as a family and as a couple in many ways. In the beginning, I spent many hours talking with teachers, in tears over difficulties we were facing in the school either with one of my children’s attitudes, with the homework load, or with misunderstandings in the school’s style of discipline. Through it all, I’ve seen how God has given me the ability to do things I didn’t think I had the strength to do, to deal with teenagers who are, themselves, adjusting and changing in a culture that is not their own.

The last paragraph sounds so familiar, if one is having so much trouble with the school's style of discipline, for god's sake get them out! You're heading down the road that is so familiar. Oh and note the date of the post on the blog, 31st Oct 2011

As a demonstation of how effective this site can be. This situation is being currently resolved by someone who kindly took action after reading the above post.
We will often never find out the results of what we post, but this is a most welcome turn of events facilitated by people who deserve a thank you for caring enough to get involved.

That is very encouraging, Bemused!

Thanks for letting us know.

In other news, President Obama has expedited the completion of the southern Keystone oil pipeline. However, approval for the northern Keystone oil pipeline, the part which actually connects to the targeted Canadian oil source, has yet to be approved due to concerns regarding possible ground water contamination in rural Nebraska.

When asked whether he sees a correlation between the Keystone pipeline situation and IHART’s painfully slow investigation and recommendation process, an NTM spokesperson responded, “Obviously not. What NTM is dealing with is stopping the import of information from countries all over the world to the U.S. while Obama is merely trying to stop the import of oil from Canada to the U.S., two entirely different scenarios. Also, NTM does not pollute ground water, we contaminate the waters of everlasting life. Trying to seek a correlation between the two is nothing but a pipe dream.”

When asked to clarify what NTM’s actions have to do with the independent IHART investigation, the spokesperson stated that he would respond shortly after "conferring with members of NTM’s IHART management team."

Posted with permission!


We apologise if you have already received this letter from Brian Shortmeier. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Andy (andy.kline@ntm.org) or me (tibby.westcott@ntm.org) If you think there may be someone who should also read this letter, please pass it on. Thank you.


Sincerely,


Andy Kline & Tibby Westcott




Dear MK Survivors,


Many of you were hurt deeply by people you trusted when you were children. I recall Jesus’ words as He spoke to his followers, “And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.” What happened to you wasn’t right, is unconscionable and is indefensible.


I am the recently appointed Director of Child Protection for NTM and I am writing this letter knowing our communication with you has been insufficient and sporadic at best. It has been said, that for an organization that specializes in cross-cultural communication, we have failed to communicate well with you. That is true. And this failure to communicate well must end. This is the first of periodic updates I will send to Andy Kline and Tibby Westcott. They will email these updates to those of you who want to receive them. However, we know that words are cheap. Actions matter.


It took NTM far too long to come to grips with what happened to you, and the full stories are still not known in all cases. It was wrong for missionaries or those connected with NTM to abuse kids. It was wrong that those in leadership who knew about it didn’t do more to stop it. It was wrong that there was a level of fear that stopped many kids from reporting it. It was wrong that some reports which were received weren’t believed. I could go on. There are many more wrongs which could be listed. But they weren’t just “wrongs.” They were sins – sins against kids, sins against their parents and sins against God.


It took us too long to get independent investigations underway. It will take longer than we want for those investigations to be completed. But the stories need to be told and the abusers need to be prosecuted. I’m sure there are many who don’t believe this, but we want abusers to be prosecuted.


We hired Pat Hendrix to create and lead an independent investigation process. She has complete access to our records. She and her team vet and choose investigators. Those investigators answer to her, not to us. She is the one who will compile the final report of an investigation and she is the one who will choose the panel to make recommendations based on the final report. Any concerns or questions about any of the investigations may be directed to Pat Hendrix at pat.mkguardian@gmail.com. Some recent events you may be interested in knowing about are:


May 2011 – Pat Hendrix, independent investigations coordinator, announced that the Independent Historical Abuse Review Team (IHART) named its first investigative team. Its task is to investigate historical reports of child abuse at NTM’s school at Vianopolis, Brazil.


Sept 2011 – IHART received all of NTM’s files on historical child abuse cases in Bolivia, Brazil, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Mexico, Venezuela and Panama. Investigations were slated to begin as investigators were in place. Experienced investigators were being recruited, interviewed and oriented.


Dec 2011 - IHART named its second investigative team. This team is investigating historical reports of child abuse at NTM's school at Tambo, Bolivia. Over the next few weeks the team began receiving information and orientation and met with each other. The team began contacting survivors the week of January 1, 2012.


Jan 2012 – 1) Investigators began reviewing historical and general information from Vianopolis school and field records. The team began conducting follow-up interviews with identified survivors and those wishing to provide information to the team. 2) IHART named its third investigative team. This team is investigating historic reports of child abuse at NTM's school in Panama.



Is NTM the same today as it was 20 years ago? I pray to God that it isn’t. God may choose to close down NTM. God may choose to allow NTM to continue to exist. We don’t know what the future may be but we want to act in a way that reflects His character


Since the mid 90’s, NTM has continued to establish and strengthen child protection policies and procedures. This has not happened at all locations at the same rate, and although just one incident of abuse is one too many, statistics show that the incidence of child abuse dropped off dramatically in the mid 90’s. Our training programs teach prevention and accountability. Our screening procedures have improved dramatically. Our educational emphasis in our mission, including home schooling, day schools and our few remaining boarding home programs are focused on what is best for each individual child, not what is best for “the work.” We cannot undo the past, but our watchwords in the area of abuse must be – “Never Again.”


I pray that NTM will demonstrate the fruits of genuine repentance. If we don’t, I pray that God removes us quickly.


Brian Shortmeier

Director of Child Protection

NTM USA Executive Board Member